Government Operations Committee approves renter outreach, asks staff to study voluntary landlord registry

At its March 16, 2026 meeting, the Government Operations Committee voted to approve enhanced outreach to renters and asked staff to come back with recommendations and cost estimates for establishing a voluntary landlord registry and a public dashboard of code-enforcement activity.

During a presentation that opened the session, a housing official explained the legal constraints that shape local options: “State law does not allow interactions in private contracts,” the HCD representative said, noting a statutory citation the office referenced as “447119.” The presenter said those limits bar local rent caps, restrict regulation of rent amounts and sources, and prevent a mandated registry that would compel landlords to enroll properties or submit vacancy and rental-source data.

Code enforcement described the county's use of the International Property Maintenance Code (the department…